ABSTRACT

First Published in 1993. In the 1970s, a book collecting research about the mass media and their role in disasters would have been unimaginable. This book, then, is an attempt to compile a somewhat eclectic view of research on mass communication and catastrophe. The editors have attempted to provide a sampling of the most recent empirical work on the mass media and disasters, including everything from content analysis of media reports to studies of audience response to those events.

chapter 1|19 pages

The Social Science Study of Disasters and Mass Communication

ByE. L. Quarantelli

chapter 2|14 pages

Bhopal: The Politics of Mediated Risk

ByLee Wilkins

chapter 3|11 pages

The Sound and the Fury: Mass Media and Hurricanes

ByJohn A. Ledingham, Lynne Masel Walters

chapter 4|16 pages

Communicating Threat Information for Volcano Hazards

ByRonald W. Perry, Michael K. Lindell

chapter 5|21 pages

TMI: The Media Story That Will Not Die

BySharon M. Friedman

chapter 10|10 pages

Tales from the Darkside: Ethical Implications of Disaster Coverage

ByDeni Elliott

chapter 11|7 pages

Conclusion: Accidents Will Happen

ByLee Wilkins